The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-03-09
A Life That Told.

Thirty years ago the region about
London docks contained as large hea-
then population as any district in AT
RIGA. Back of the huge warehouses
were @ innumerable courts and alleys
filed with fog and dirt and every hor-
ror of sight, sound and smell. 1t was
a rendezvous for the lowest types of
humanity" The wealthy and influen-
tial class in this settlement were the
rum-sellers and keepers of gambling
hels. Children were born and grew to
middle age in these precincts who never
had heard the name of Christ, except
in an oath. Thirty thousand souls
were included in one parish here, but
the clergymen never ventured out of
the church to teach. A young man
named Charles Lowder, belonging to
an old English family, happened to pass
through this district just after leaving
Oxford. His classmates were going
into politics, or the army, or to the bar,
full of ambition and hope to make
name in the world; but Lowder heard,
as he said. "a cry of mingled agony,
suffering, laughter and blasphemy COM
ing from these depths that rang in his
ears, 90 where he would" He re-
solved to give up all other work in the
world to help these people. He took a
house in one of the lowest slums and
lived in it, " 1t is only one of them
selves that they will hear, not patroniz-
ing visitors" He preached every day
in the streets, and for months was
pelted with brickbats, shot at and driven
back with curses. He had, unfortu-
nately, no eloquence with which to reach
them: he was slow, stammering
speaker, but he was bold, patient and
in earnest. Year after year he lived
among them. Even the worst rut1ian
learned to respect the tall, thin curate,
whom he saw stopping the worst street.
fights, facing mobs or nursing the vic
Tins of Asiatic cholera. Mr.. Lowder
lived in London docks for twenty-three
years. Night-schools were opened, in
dustrial schools, and refugees for drunk
ards, discharged prisoners and fallen
women. A large church was built and
several mission chapels. His chief as
sistants in this work were the men and
women whom he had rescued from
"the paths that abut on hell" A Wis
itor to the church said, 1.-THE congre-
CATION differs from others in that they
are all in such deadly earnest" Mr..
Lowder broke down under his work,
and rapidly grew into an old, care-worn
man. He died in a village in the Ty-
rol. whittier he had gone for months
rest. He was brought back to the docks
where he had worked so long. Across
the bridge where he had once been
chased by furious mob bent on his
murder his body was reverently carried,
while the police were obliged to keep
back the crowds of sobbing people who
pressed forward to catch the last glimpse
of d" Father Lowder," as they called
him. No such funeral" says Lon
don paper, has ever been seen in
England. The whole population of
East London turned out, stopping work
for that day. The special trains run to
Chiselhurst were filed, and thousands
followed on foot-miserable men and
women whom he had lifted up from
barbarism to life and hope" There
are many careers open to young men
on entering the world, but there are
none nobler, or that lead more directly
to heaven, than that of this modern
crusader. - Youths Companion.